Asparagus is the quintessential Spring vegetable. Every year when grocery shelves begin to fill with bundles of green spears, it signifies that the warm weather is on its way (and boy, are we excited about that!). Asparagus makes a festive appearance each year on my family's Easter table, as it is a wonderful complement to a meaty lamb roast. The tender spears are steamed and topped with a Read more

I've said it before and I'll say it again: when you've got really great seasonal produce, you don't have to do much to create a standout dish that perfectly complements a meal. The slightly sweet flavor of carrots is a fresh counterpart to a meaty main course, so why cover it up in heavy sauces or turn it into something else entirely? What's more is that this preparation of carrots is not only Read more

If you're anything like me, then a dinner isn't complete without a salad and a side dish. While salads are easy enough, sometimes I get stuck when it comes to coming up with a fast and easy side. That's when I turn on the oven, reach for a seasonal vegetable, toss it in some oil and spices, then roast it to perfection. In this case the seasonal vegetable happend to be cauliflower and the spice, Read more

FitSugar reader Gabriela Une Vie Saine has a recipe for collard greens that is not only healthy, but vegetarian too! She shared the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group. These collard greens are a healthy take on the traditional Southern version. They have a great smokey flavor that tastes amazing with spicy food! Read on for the recipe! Read more

When it comes to my own personal Thanksgiving menu, I'm a bit of a minimalist and prefer to keep recipes understated rather than over-the-top. This applies, in particular, to side dishes: I'm partial to items such as simply prepared sweet potatoes and these green beans, blanched briefly and served with caramelized onions. In my humble opinion, there's no need for green beans to be shrouded in a Read more

It's Thanksgiving, and sweet potatoes are everywhere. There are so many different ways to serve sweet potatoes, and we've covered a lot of them: from sweet potato soup and fries to pone and pie. Sure, you can mash them and throw some marshmallows on top for a traditional preparation, but here's a slightly different preparation of this root vegetable for Fall. Sweet potatoes are boiled, peeled, Read more

Every year mashed rutabagas appear on our Thanksgiving table. When I was younger, I wouldn't touch them because I didn't know what they were. But now that I'm older and my palate's matured, I'm a huge fan. Also, the word "rutabaga" is just too fun to say! As it turns out, a rutabaga, known in Europe as a "swede," is a cross between a turnip and a wild cabbage. It's a sweet vegetable with definite Read more

People have strong opinions when it comes to dressing, starting with whether it should be called "dressing" or "stuffing." In the South, my family always called it "dressing" and baked it in a casserole dish, not a turkey, and we always had two options: sausage or oyster. What we did not have was cornbread. As a lover of all things cornmeal — corn dogs, grits, tamales, you name it — I figured Read more

For a different take on the traditional dinner roll this Thanksgiving, try chef Art Smith's goat cheese biscuits; the recipe is a basic buttermilk drop biscuit that incorporates tangy and creamy goat cheese. The recipe's incredibly easy, though I did make one change: The recipe called for coating the preheated cast iron pan in butter, but due to the heat, the butter nearly instantly turned a Read more